After driving for a quarter of an hour, Ben stopped the van.

  They had descended a bumpy trail beyond the marketplace, where a pine forest started. The path had gotten muddier, and they had to cross a small grassy clearing before arriving at the cabin.

  After some playing around with the seat and complimenting its softness on his butt, Jerry made himself comfortable with the window switch, playing around with it the same way a child would. He asked a few questions about how the van worked and what some of the other switches and buttons did. He seemed understanding, making Ben think he was smarter than the average village person.

  When Ben first saw the cabin, his jaw dropped in awe. It appeared to look brand new as if it had been recently built. It stood two stories high, with the second being built into the triangular roof. It was around half the size of Arthel's Inn and sat atop a foot-high stone foundation. Even the designs along the windows looked as if no expense was spared. At the entrance, there appeared to be a few storage sheds. One contained half a pile of firewood, while the other contained animal traps.

  “Welcome to the cabin. Or, as I like to call it, home sweet home.” Jerry motioned with his hand.

  Ben nodded. “It looks better than all the buildings I've seen in Robynhill. Are you a rich man or something?”

  Jerry started to chuckle. “You know what they say. Hard work pays off. It was built over a year ago when things were going well here. We managed to harvest some high-quality furs and turn a good profit. We had some money left over to rebuild it.” Sadness swept across his facial expression, and he bellowed in frustration. “It’s a shame that hard work was for naught. We could only live in it for less than a year.”

  “Did you stay here with your family?” Ben asked.

  “Aye. I sent them away to Feruswich to stay with some relatives. When the knights were recalled to the chateau, I felt something wasn't right. Things went to crap after that, especially with that egotistical nonce Sudfield trying to take advantage of the situation.”

  Ben shrugged. “I don't understand what his problem is.”

  Jerry shook his head. “That’s what greed does to a man, and he won't stop at nothing till he has it all. That’s why we must end his madness.” He turned to face the entrance. “Come on... How do I get out again?"

  Ben switched the engine off and pointed at the door latch, “Just pull that, and the door will open.”

  Jerry stepped out, shut the door, and approached the entrance. When he reached the door, he began to fidget beneath his tunic at the neck. He pulled out several large iron keys. After unlocking the door, he walked in and gestured for Ben to follow.

  Ben looked around and discovered the dusty remnants of a cozy home.

  “It’s been a few months since I’ve been here. Sorry about the bad lighting. The window covers are all shut, so I must get the candles lit.” Jerry stated, walking up to the stone hearth. He picked up a small metal box and creaked it open to reveal a flint, steel, and dried tinder. Within seconds, small embers were burning, which allowed him to get one of the nearby candles lit. “You don't mind closing the door for me.” He said while hopping around, lighting the other candles.

  Jerry walked across to the end once the room was illuminated in a warm orange glow. A doorway led to a storage room filled with wooden crates. He moved things out of the way, revealing a hatch in the floorboards.

  “A secret cellar?” Ben asked.

  “They’re not as common around here as they are in the Hollow Lands. It’s a safe place to prevent your things from getting stolen if anyone breaks in.” Jerry explained, putting another one of his keys in the small lock.

  It looked pitch black, and Ben couldn't see anything except the steep wooden steps. Jerry held his candle in one hand and went down. By the time Ben arrived, Jerry had fixed the lighting situation.

  Ben’s eyes opened as he saw a few workbenches. Some were empty, while others appeared to have arrows in various states of being crafted. The walls near them held a rack filled with various tools. The opposite wall had another doorway, more storage boxes, and sacks of feathers.

  “Nice little operation you’ve got here,” Ben stated.

  “Ahh, it was just a little hobby. You can’t get decent arrows anymore, so I made my own. I had a few potential buyers for them, too, and even registered them with the guilds so they would appear in the system. But that all fell through before I could get things going.” Jerry picked up one of the completed arrows and passed it to Ben. “Nothing like a Jerry arrow, they used to say.”

  Ben wasn't sure if he was blowing smoke up his ass, but the arrow did look better than the ones he had seen thus far, and the damage rating on the system seemed impressive enough.

  “But that’s not why I’m here,” Jerry said, moving across the room to the other door. He opened it up and lit the candles within.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  As if Ben had thought there were no other surprises, he couldn't believe his eyes when he entered the other room. Three armor mannequins held three unique sets of armor, each in a different style and all embossed with Hollow Moon crests. They didn't look as fancy as what he had seen Alfred and Le’Vieux wear, but they did look in great condition. Various racks held different types of weapons, ranging from ranged to melee and even a large chest.

  “Erm… What’s all this about?” Ben asked. He thought either Jerry was a Hollow Moon enthusiast or he had served.

  Jerry removed his hood and started taking off his over-clothes. “Around a century ago, the Meso lands were once a territory of the Hollow Moon. The chateau was a crucial fort during the Fairy Wars. Once the enemy was defeated, the nobles here wanted to become independent. That’s how the duchy was formed. While they built the Meso Order, an elite company of knights was always stationed here. We were disbanded a decade ago, and most of us decided to settle here.” He finished by placing his hand on one of the armor sets.

  The set looked simpler than the knight's full plate armor but had more steel than the simple leather set. Ben thought he would start putting it on when it suddenly vanished and reappeared on Jerry’s body instantly.

  Jerry then grabbed a set of twin swords from the wall rack and tied them to his belt. He then grabbed a quiver from the wall and a bow crafted from a dark grey metal. “If only I had this gear when Sudfield attacked, it would have been a different story." He shrugged. "That can't be helped now. If you want the leather armor, it's yours. The system will make the adjustments so it fits you."

  The system offered the option to wear it. When Ben thought about the ‘yes’ option, the armor vanished before reappearing on his body. He couldn't believe how that worked so easily and patted himself across the torso. “Impressive.” He nodded.

  Jerry opened the chest, which appeared to be filled to the brim with arrows that had been separated and placed tip down. He started taking them out, reveling in the tips gleaming with orange magic.

  Ben gave Jerry a nod. “Are those what I think they are?”

  As Jerry filled his quiver, he explained. “The finest enchanted arrows you’ll find north of the border. They were enchanted by an old mage named Aella, who passed half a decade ago. Upon impact, they explode and can kill almost anything.” He filled half the quiver with normal arrows and the rest with the enchanted ones. He then turned to Ben and motioned at the weapon racks. “I can't believe Le’Vieux sent you here without a weapon or armor, so take your pick.”

  Ben looked at them and wasn't sure what would fit his style. He shrugged. “I’ve not been trained in combat yet. Normally, I just run things over with the van."

  Jerry shook his head in disappointment. He approached the rack, picked out a Warhammer, and passed it. “Just whack them with that.”

  As Ben browsed the stats, Jerry grabbed one of the hooded cloaks and put it on to finish his archer look. “Before we head to Dimiwood, we should make our way to a nearby cattle pasture. Knight-Major Hauxwell, the former commander of our old unit, lives there with his sister. If we’re going to get Alfred out, we’ll need his help.” He then opened a smaller box containing various vials and placed them in his spatial inventory.

  They extinguished all the candles and locked all the doors on their way out before setting off.

  They had traveled further up the bumpy trail, up a slope as things got hillier. The forest abruptly stopped, and meter-high stone walls appeared on either side of the trail. As Ben drove past, cattle grazed beyond them and turned their heads with a moo.

  “All the milk in the Mesolands used to come from here. Not sure what they do with it all now since most people have left.” Jerry shrugged as they approached the large stone-built farmhouse surrounded by outbuildings.

  Everything was going great until an old lady emerged from one of the barn buildings holding a crossbow aimed at them. A few other people emerged, joining her, holding farm tools as weapons.

  “Whose the granny with the crossbow?” Ben asked, slowly putting his hands in the air.

  Jerry chuckled. “That’s Lady Hauxwell, the commander's sister.” His hand then shot to the door latch before he stepped out.

  Ben rolled the window down to listen in on the conversation.

  “Relax, Hannah. Don't tell me you’ve gone blind in your old age and don't recognize me,” Jerry chuckled.

  “Is that you, Jerry? What are you doing on my farm with that big magic box.” She croaked, putting down her weapon. She then removed the bolt and hit the trigger, causing the string to snap like lightning. “We’ve not seen anyone come through here for over a month. I sent one of the farmhands to your cabin, and they said it looked like no one was there.

  “Aye, maybe because everything has gone to hell. That scoundrel Sudfield has taken over Dimiwood and will probably be coming this way next. I must speak with your brother if he’s still kicking around.”

  “He’s not dead yet, just keeping warm by the fire. You should get inside before he falls asleep for another week. I’ll get a nice brew in the kettle.” She replied before turning to the others. “Nothing to see here. Get yourselves back to work.”

  Ben followed Jerry inside. The farmhouse was filled with old furniture and had many things scattered around, making it look like a hoarder's den. A large fire danced in the hearth where an old man sat on a well-cushioned seat covered in multiple blankets.

  Ben wasn't sure how the old man, who looked a decade older than Le’Vieux, would help. He wasn't even sure the man could go to the toilet without help.

  “Knight-Major, Sir,” Jerry saluted at attention.

  The old man sluggishly twisted his head and croaked. “Haven’t heard that one for years. My eyesight isn't what it used to be. Is that you, Jerry?”

  “Aye, Sir, it’s me. I see you’ve been living all nice and comfortable by the fire here.” Jerry replied, making it look as if the old guy was being lazy.

  The old man chuckled before coughing. “Still acting like a nonce, I see. You won't show up like this for no reason. So, tell me, what’s going on? I’ve not heard anything in months since they stopped buying from here.”

  “Sir, forget the milk. Sudfield has made his move on Dimiwood.” Jerry blurted out.

  The old man nearly dropped out of his seat and looked like he was about to fall face-first into the fire. “He’s done what?”

  Jerry nodded. “Yeah, and he’ll soon be coming here to take everything before making his play for Robynhill.” He then raised his hand, and a vial contained a pearl-white liquid that shimmered with majestic magic. “Your old friend Aella stocked me up before he passed.”

  The old man’s eyes opened wide. “Oh, it’s been a while.”